Prosecco

Definition - What does Prosecco mean?

Prosecco is an Italian wine made primarily with Glera grapes. Often considered similar to Champagne, Prosecco does not always have to be sparkling, and in addition to being made with different grapes, is also made using different winemaking techniques when compared to Champagne. Well known for it's lively fruit and floral notes, Prosecco also has flavors and aromas of vanilla and honeycomb.

WineFrog explains Prosecco

Known for it’s fresh flavors of green apple, pear, honeydew, cream and honeysuckle, Prosecco is made as a sparkling wine, a still wine and a semi-sparkling wine. Made with primarily Glera grapes, Prosecco can also have up to 15% of the following grapes:

  • Pinot Nero
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Pinot Bianco
  • Chardonnay
  • Verdiso
  • Perera
  • Glera Lunga
  • Bianchetta Trevigiana

Prosecco is made using the winemaking technique known as, Charmat-Martinotti, or Charmat Method, which makes the wine less expensive to produce. Charmat-Martinotti allows the wine to undergo a secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks. As Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle, it is typically meant to be drunk within 3 years, though it may be aged for as long as 8 years. Compared to other wine styles, Prosecco has a lower "Alcohol by Volume" content, of 11 to 12 percent.